Ten thoughts from Osho

Osho, or Swami Rajneesh, is known for his radical, unconventional thinking. Yet, he has shown people the way to live life in a joyous, rejoicing way. Here are ten thoughts from the maroon-robed guru. See if they help you on your way:

1. Never obey anyone’s command unless it is coming from within you also.(You can hear out what anyone has to say, but in the end it is up to you to decide whether or not you should actually listen to and obey them. The only person in this world that can make decisions for you is yourself. What you think is the only thing that matters, everyone else’s thoughts are just opinions.)

2. There is no God other than life itself.(Life is so wonderful BECAUSE we know that we are going to die someday. Remember what Achilles said in Troy: “The gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now, and we will never be here again.”)

3. Truth is within you, do not search for it elsewhere.(Life never gets any better, only your perspective of it does.

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If you look to the external for answers, you have already taken the wrong step. Life is so simple, yet, we as humans still manage to find ways to spoil it.)

4. Love is prayer.(Our thoughts actually have an impact on the reality around us. Your thoughts manipulate your DNA, which then manipulate vibrating light particles in your surroundings. Thoughts such as love and compassion cause your DNA strands to expand and be free to affect others in a positive manner, while thoughts such as hatred and envy cause the strands to scrunch up and contract into each other.)

5. To become nothingness is the door to truth. Nothingness itself is the means, the goal and attainment.(“I think, therefore I am not. It is only when the mind is silent that I am.” Clearing your mind is the basis of all meditation. You are not your thoughts, and it is not healthy to be constantly thinking 24X7. How can you truly listen to your inner voice if you never give it the chance to speak because your mind is always drowning it out?)

6. Life is now and here.(There is no past, and there is no future. These two things simply do not exist. Have you ever experienced a moment that was not NOW? I didn’t think so. NOW is where you live every moment of your life, and leaving the now to dwell on past hurts or future worries is not good for your mental health. Thinking about past mistakes so that you can correct them, and setting goals for the future are exceptions, but you should always be aware that life happens NOW.)

7. Live wakefully.(We should find joy in every moment of our lives.)

8. Do not swim—float.(If you were dumped out in the middle of the ocean and tried to swim to shore, you would get exhausted and drown. However, if you floated, you would expend a lot less energy and probably last a lot longer. It would be more likely that a boat or airplane would pass by to save you. Life works in the same manner; don’t resist the current of life, simply float and let everything be. Trust that life will carry you in the right direction and it will.)

9. Die each moment so that you can be new each moment.(Moments from the past do not exist; I am not the same person I was a mere second ago. The only moment that does exist is NOW, which is why you should ‘die’ to each moment, so that you are not held to your past or worried about the future.)

10. Do not search. That which is, is. Stop and see.(The truth lies within you. This is a perfect summarization of all the previous commandments. Do not search for external answers, and do not resist the flow of life. Take a moment to watch an animal in the wild. Do they seem to care about anything or have any problems outside of survival and enjoying their lives? We should take note of this and mimic their attitude towards life. In this day and age, survival is already taken care of for most of us and we do not have to worry about it. This is why we create ‘problems’ to keep our minds occupied. Sometimes it is best to just ‘stop and smell the flowers.’)